Combination pet feeder for flowable solid material and liquid

ABSTRACT

A pet feeder in the form of a feeding dish combined with containers for flowable materials which may be either liquid or granulated solid materials. The feeding dish has a slanting surface or ramp. A container for solid particulate material is positioned over the ramp to feed onto it. A liquid container having a discharge spout is positionable over the ramp which is provided with a flat ledge portion on which the spout normally rests, partially obstructing it and allowing flow through the remainder into the dish up to the level of the spout orifice. The liquid container is removable from the enclosure for filing and for use of the feeder for feeding solid material.

[22] Filed:

Pearce ]March 13, 1973 COMBINATION PET FEEDER FOR FLOWABLE SOLIDMATERIAL AND LIQUID [76] Inventor: Woodrow W. Pearce, 1200 RiversideDrive, Burbank, Calif. 91506 Oct. 19, 1970 21 Appl. No.: 81,997

Primary Examiner-Hugh R. Chamblee Attorney-Herzig & Walsh [57] ABSTRACTA pet feeder in the form of a feeding dish combined with containers forflowable materials which may be either liquid or granulated solidmaterials. The feeding dish has a slanting surface or :ramp. A containerfor solid particulate material is positioned over the ramp to feed ontoit. A liquid container having a discharge spout is positionable over theramp which is provided with a flat ledge portion on which the spoutnormally rests, partially obstructing it and allowing flow through theremainder into the dish up to the level of the spout orifice. The liquidcontainer is removable from the enclosure for filing and for use of thefeeder for feeding solid material.

1 Claim, 4 Drawing Figures COMBINATION PET FEEDER FOR FLOWABLE SOLIDMATERIAL AND LIQUID SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The invention is animproved pet feeder for animal pets, such as dogs, cats, etc. The feederis a combination feeder comprising a feeding dish with automatic feedingmeans for feeding a flowable material, such as a liquid or granulatedsolid material into the feeding dish up to a desired level. Theautomatic feeding means comprises cylindrical containers including aliquid container having a feeding spout or nozzle, the liquid containernormally being supported in an inverted position. The feeding dish has aslanting surface or ramp having formed in it an intermediate point, aflat surface forming a ledge and shoulder, and the spout of the liquidfeeding container is normally supported on this ledge so as to partiallyobstruct the orifice in the spout and to allow flow through part of itinto the feeding dish. Preferably, the liquid container'is cylindricaland it is positionable within a cylindrical container or en closure oflarger diameter with a removable closure so that the liquid containercan be removed for refilling and reinsertion. With the liquid containerremoved, solid particulatematerial can be put into the other containerfor automatic feed onto the ramp and into the dish.

The primary object of the invention is to provide a combination petfeeder as referred to possessing the characteristics that it willreliably feed either liquid or solid material accurately into thefeeding dish, but yet possess the characteristics that it is extremelysimple and economical to fabricate; that it is completely sanitary; andthat it is very easy to refill or reload it with a fresh supply ofliquid or solid material.

Another object is to realize the characteristic that it isextremelysimple to convert the feeder for feeding either solid or liquidmaterial.

A further object is to provide a construction embodying a container forliquid having a spout, the feed ing dish having a ramp witha ledgeforming a platform DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring tothe drawings, numeral 10 designates generally the feeding dish part ofthe device. In the preferred form of the invention, the dish isgenerally of oval shape. Preferably, it is formed of thin molded plasticmaterial. The forward part of the dish as designated at 12 is the partwhich receives the flowable material up to a level as shown at 14 inFIG. 4 to allow the animal to feed or drink therefrom. The forward partof the feeding dish is formed as shown in FIGS. 2 and 4 to have a doublewall as designated at 16 and 18, connected by a smoothly roundedconnecting portion 20 on top which forms a smooth rounded edge orsurface, adapting it for the animal to place its head in a position asshown in FIG. 4. The forward part of the feeding dish has a flat bottomas designated at 26.

The rearward part of the dish is formed by relatively thin wall part 30,the peripheral parts having a generally flat top surface as shown at 32.The rear part of the dish has surface 34 forming a ramp extending fromthe back part of the rear portion to the flat bottom surface 26 of thedish. The flat. top surface 32 is of generally horseshoe shape, the endsof this surface slanting down as shown at 40 and 42 to join the ends ofthe top rounded surface 20 of the feeding dish.

Formed in the ramp or slanting surface 34 at an intermediate point is aflat surface 44 forming a ledg having at the back an upright or shoulder46.

Liquid material to be fed is contained in a cylindrical container 50which may preferably be of plastic having and shoulder on which thespout normally rests to controllably feed liquid. v I

A further object is to provide a construction in a pet feeder asdescribed which is adapted to use of inexpensive plastic materials andto fabrication of the parts by plastic molding processes. A furtherobject is to reduce the number of parts and to simplify individualparts.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS enlarged ribs or bulges as shown at 52and 54 atthe top and bottom. At the top, offset to one side is acylindrical discharge spout 60. The end of this spout normally rests onthe flat ledge 44 with the spout against the arcuate shoulder 46 so thatthe orifice in the spout is partially obstructed; and through theunobstructedpart, material can feed down along the ramp 34 into thefeeding dish until the level which is the level as designated at I4 isreached.

As will be understood, when the level of material such as liquid reachesthe level of the end of the spout 60, the interior of the container 50is sealed against entrance of air, and the material will no longerautomati callyjfeed. i

Numeral 64 designates a cylindrical enclosure for the container 50 whichalso may preferably be made from a relatively thin plastic material,having "a circular cap or closure 66 which is removable. On thehorseshoe shaped surface 32, there is formed a rib 70 having a groove 72in it. The lower peripheral edge of the enclosure 64 is received in thegroove 72, and it may be appropriately bondedthereto. The liquidcontainer 50 is readily removable for placing solid particulate flowablematerial in container 64. Such material can flow down onto ramp 34 andthen into the dish 10. The flow is controlled by the opening between thelower edge of container 64, the ramp 34, and the ends 40 and 42 of thehorseshoe shaped surface 32.

In use for liquid, the container 50 is in the position as shown in theenclosure 64 with the spout 60 resting on the ledge 44. The liquidmaterial will automatically feed into the feeding dish up to the level14. Whenever the level falls, additional liquid material willautomatically feed back up to the level 14.

To refill the container 50, the cover 66 need only be removed, and thecontainer can be manually taken out,

' refilled through the spout 60, and then replaced back into position asshown in FIG. 2.

To convert the combination pet feeder for solid material, container 50is simply removed and the solid material is placed in container 64. itfeeds down as described onto ramp 34 and is controllably released intodish 10. i

From the foregoing, those skilled in the art will readily understand thenature and construction of the invention and the manner inwhich itachieves and realizes the objectives as set forth in the foregoing. Theconstruction is extremely simple, economical, and easy to fabricate. Itcomprises only the feeding dish, the attached enclosure 64, and theremovable container 50. No supports for the container 50 are requiredother than the ledge on the ramp 34. The device feeds either liquid orsolid material reliably without attention, and is extremely easy toconvert from one to the other. The device is sanitary and extremely easyto clean; particularly, it is easy to refill it.

The foregoing disclosure is representative of a preferred form of theinvention. It is to be interpreted in an illustrative rather than alimiting sense.

What is claimed is:

l. A combination pet feeder for feeding flowable solid or liquidmaterials comprising: a removable cylindrical container adapted tocontain solid flowable material; a feeding dish into which material canbe fed, said dish including a part fonning a ramp at one side of thedish and there being raised side walls partially around the ramp, saidremovable container being positioned o'ver the ramp and retained by saidside walls whereby solid material flowing onto the ramp moves into thedish to be accessible to an animal; and a cylindrical liquid containerpositionable in said removable container and having discharge meanspositioned to discharge onto said ramp whereby to cause liquid to flowinto the dish to a predetermined level, said liquid container having aneck part and the ramp having a recessed flat part adapted to receive aneck end portion of the container thereon to allow flow of liquid fromthe neck.

1. A combination pet feeder for feeding flowable solid or liquidmaterials comprising: a removable cylindrical container adapted tocontain solid flowable material; a feeding dish into which material canbe fed, said dish including a part forming a ramp at one side of thedish and there being raised side walls partially around the ramp, saidremovable container being positioned over the ramp and retained by saidside walls whereby solid material flowing onto the ramp moves into thedish to be accessible to an animal; and a cylindrical liquid containerpositionable in said removable container and having discharge meanspositioned to discharge onto said ramp whereby to cause liquid to flowinto the dish to a predetermined level, said liquid container having aneck part and the ramp having a recessed flat part adapted to receive aneck end portion of the container thereon to allow flow of liquid fromthe neck.